campbell



(No Model.)

S. 0. CAMPBELL.-

MAIL BAG. No. 295.733. 7 Patented Mar. 25', 1884..

lllllllllllllllllllllllh lie urns STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLON OWEN CAMPBELL, OF VAN WERT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO ADAM J. JOHNSON AND JOHN GEMMILL, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION fdrming part of Letters Patent No. 295,733, dated March 25, 1884.

Application filed January 25, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLON O. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Van WVert, in the county of Decatur and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mail-bags; and it consists in acombined fastening and tag-holder, whereby the bag is fastened and the tag'holder securely held in place on the bag, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and then spe cifically pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 isa perspective view of my improved bag-fastening and tagholder, showing the bag closed, locked, and labeled, and ready for transportation. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the hinged fastening or looking-frame, showing the same opened or dis tended. Fig. 3 is a plan view, showing the hinged frame closed. Fig. 4 is a side view of the hinged frame. Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view of the tag-holder and frame. Fig. 6 is a detail View of the tag-holder.

The letterAindicates a hinged metal frame, consisting of four pieces, a a a. a, hinged to each other at their ends, so as to form a rectangular opening, to which the mouth of the bag is attached. Two of the pieces, a a, are shorter than the others, a a, as shown in Fig. 2, and consist of plain fiat bars of metal, preferably extended below the hinges a short distance, to which extension the mouth of the bag is attached Without interfering with the action of the hinges, as shown in Fig. 5.

a a are the longer pieces or bars of the frame A, and are provided With hinges at each end to engage with the hinges on the short bars a a, the hinges being joined by rivets or pins. Each piece a is provided with a lip or flange, b, at the top, intended to cover the short bars a a when the frame A is closed. Each lip or flange b terminatesat one end in a diagonal -line, (see Fig. 2,) so that when the frame is closed the bars a a meet in a diagonal line or joint, as shown in Fig. 3, completely covering the short bars a a. The long pieces a a may also have an extension or flange below the hinges for the purpose of riveting the bag to.

c c are short projections or blocks, approximately triangular in shape, formed on the up per side of each" lip b, at the diagonal end of the same, the purpose of which blocks will be hereinafter explained. The pieces a a are each provided with a hole, I), under the diagonal part of the lip 12, as shown. These holes b I) register or form one continuous opening when the frame is closed. Through the hole so formed-the bow of a padlock, (J, is passed 'to lockthe frame.

B represents the tag or label holder or case, which is hinged to the flange b of one of the long pieces a of the frame, and is held in place, face upward, by means of the padlock C,which fits closely over and around the holder and locksthe frame when the bag is closed, as shown in Fig. 1. This tag-holder B is provided with a slotted recess, d, for the reception of alabel or tag, on Which the destination of the bag is marked, the slot 6 in its face enabling the tag or label to be seen and read. The opening or slot e in the face of the holder is not as wide as the recess d, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, thus leaving a flange in the side walls at the top, which prevents thelabel from falling out and keeps the same securely in place. Theholder B is provided with an extension or lip, f, which rests on the blocks 0 0 when the frame is closed, as shown in Fig. 5. These blocks thus form a stop or guard, which prevents the label from slipping out or being removed when the frame is locked.

When the mail-bag has arrived at its destination, the padlock is unlocked and removed from the frame A, thus permitting the holder or case B to be turned back on its hinge, with its face resting on the flange I), (see Fig. 3,) when the label may be easily removed and another one inserted, if desired.

A staple and ring, on the piece a, opposite the piece to which the tag-holder is hinged, serves as a handle to open the mouth of the bag, or rather the frame, the tag-holder itself serving a like purpose. 7

It may be remarked that the padlock Gserves fine one end of the tagrholder, substantially as the double purpose of locking the bag-frame and at the same time holding the tag-case, face upward, in place on the frame. By this device 5 the label is always in position to be read, and

cannot be tampered with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent, is

IO 1. In a combined mail-bag fastening and tagholder, the combination of the frame A, composed of hinged sections, two of which are perforated for thepassage of a padlock, a tagholder, B, pivoted to the top of one of said sections, and a padlock, 0, passed through the closed frame, so as to secure the same and condescribed.

2. In a combined mail-bag fastening and tagholder, the combination of the side pieces, a (0, having flanges Z) Z), apertures b b, and blocks 00, the end piecesa a, thetag-holder B, hinged to one of the side pieces, and having lip f, and the padlock O, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SOLON OVEN CAMPBELL.

Vitnesses:

JOHN GEMMILL,

his MARTIN LUFFLER.

mark. 

